Water Crisis at Walvis Bay

By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK THE Municipality of Walvis Bay has warned residents of the harbour town to use water sparingly due to the fact that rains have damaged some water pumps in the Kuiseb River. “Namwater had only been able to pump about 150 cubic metres of water per hour Friday morning, drastically short of the town’s consumption of about 600 to 700 cubic metres per hour. We once again rely on the reservoirs to fill up the shortage. Presently Namwater is pumping in 420 cubic metres per hour,” said a statement from the municipality. According to the statement, Mile 7 is about 60% full while the other reservoirs only have 10% water capacity. “We expect the Kuiseb River to flow in at an enormous speed over the weekend as a result of expected rainfall in the Gobabeb and Rooibank areas. As a result, there will be a complete water shutdown. “How long residents will have to endure this punch will largely depend on weather conditions and the damage it might bring. However, Namwater is working around the clock to reduce and limit such inconveniences to the minimum,” the statement said. Nolito Marx, one of the local authority’s communications officers, yesterday morning confirmed that the water situation at the town remained unchanged. He said residents had to adhere to the request to use water sparingly. “Presently, the water pressure is very low due to the fact that Namwater is in the process of repairing the water pumps in the Rooibank area,” Marx told New Era telephonically.